Re:Is it Honorable to be in the Military?
by kijin on Sunday July 12, 2015 @09:18PM
(#9875829)
Honor is a personal thing, not something that you can slap on a large group of people once and for all just because they wear the same uniform.
It is honorable to save (relatively) innocent people, whether from natural disasters or from other people.
It is dishonorable to be someone from whom other people need to be saved.
Simply joining and remaining in the military may or may not have anything to do with the above. You stand on the honorable side when you rescue victims of a terrorist attack and kill, incapacitate, or otherwise restrain the perpetrators so that they cannot harm anyone else. You stand on the dishonorable side when you then go on to bomb a village full of civilians.
War sucks because once you get involved in one, it's hard to win without doing at least some dishonorable things, at least by mistake if not intentionally.
On the other hand, I think the armed forces of the world are at their best when they are mobilized for disaster relief. The manpower, order, and logistical competence of the military can make them extremely effective first responders when a hurricane or earthquake strikes, although NGOs are rapidly improving, too. In a world that is increasingly ravaged by an unstable climate, I see a an opportunity for militaries to do more honorable things than ever before.
It is honorable to save (relatively) innocent people, whether from natural disasters or from other people.
It is dishonorable to be someone from whom other people need to be saved.
Simply joining and remaining in the military may or may not have anything to do with the above. You stand on the honorable side when you rescue victims of a terrorist attack and kill, incapacitate, or otherwise restrain the perpetrators so that they cannot harm anyone else. You stand on the dishonorable side when you then go on to bomb a village full of civilians.
War sucks because once you get involved in one, it's hard to win without doing at least some dishonorable things, at least by mistake if not intentionally.
On the other hand, I think the armed forces of the world are at their best when they are mobilized for disaster relief. The manpower, order, and logistical competence of the military can make them extremely effective first responders when a hurricane or earthquake strikes, although NGOs are rapidly improving, too. In a world that is increasingly ravaged by an unstable climate, I see a an opportunity for militaries to do more honorable things than ever before.